Australian soldier and husband charged, both suspected of spying for Moscow

Russia denies having any information on the case and stresses that they were permanently residing in Australia

12 Jul. () –

Australian security forces announced Friday that an Australian Army soldier and her husband, both of Russian origin, have been charged for their alleged involvement in espionage activities for the Russian government by accessing “sensitive” military material related to national security.

The couple, who were arrested on Thursday, are Kira Korolev, 40, and her husband, Igor, 62. They both hold Russian passports and had lived in Australia for more than a decade before becoming citizens.

The two were arrested at their home in Brisbane and are now facing charges of “preparing acts of espionage,” Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kaershaw said at a press conference.

Authorities have explained that the woman, who is a private in the Australian forces, had worked for years as an information systems technician. They have also explained that she decided to travel to Russia without declaring it. “We believe that the two were trying to obtain information with the intention of handing it over to the Russian authorities,” said Kaershaw, who could not confirm whether the data was indeed leaked.

Police have said that she obtained citizenship in 2016, while he did not get it until 2020. If found guilty, they could face a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had no information about the arrest. “We have no information on this. They are Russian citizens, but they were permanent residents of Australia. We have no details on this case,” he said, according to information collected by the Russian news agency Interfax.